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400-8
Body-General
Airbags
Front airbags, s~de a~rbags, pyrotechnic seat belt tensioners
and the Battery Safety Terminal (BST) are integrated into the
Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) and its variants.
NOTE-
The BMW SRS system is called Multiple Restra~nt System
(MRS). Over the years,
E39 cars were equipped with MRS,
MRS
11, MRS 111. Each version offers varied features and im-
provements over the previous system.
< As many as 8 airbags may be installed in E39 cars, depend-
ing on model and MRS version.
The front
airbags operate without sodium azide propellant,
widely considered an irritant when an
airbag is deployed.
Starting with
1999 models. "smart"front passenger and driver
airbags were installed. These are of the dual-threshold, dual
stage design, including a
sensorto help prevent the unneces-
sary deployment of the passenger side
airbag if the seat is un-
occupied.
MRS control Depend~ng on options chosen, one airbag may be installed in module each door of the sedan and Sport Wagon models, protecting
passengers against
s~de impacts.
Head Protection System (ITS)
airbags strelch diagonally
across the tops of the front doors.
Airbag deployment automatically triggers fuel shutoff, turns
on the hazard and interior lights, and unlocks the doors.
- -
WARNING -
Airbags are inflated by an explosive device. Handled im-
properly or without adequate safeguards,
airbag units can
be very dangerous. Special precautions must be observed
prior to any worlc at or near any of the airbags. See
721 Air-
bag System (SRS).
Always disconnect the battery and cover the negative
(-) battery terminal with an insulator before starting di-
agnostic, troubleshooting or service work on cars fitted
with SRS, and before doing any welding on the
car.
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Interior ~riml
4 Remove fastener (arrow) beneath trim cap.
Working from top carefully pull trim panel away from
A-pil-
lar and pull up to remove.
- Installation is reverse of removal.
If necessary replace defective or broken mounting clips.
Door post trim panel (B-pillar), removing and installing
4 Remove seat belt fastener (arrow) from seat frame.
- Remove front and rear door sill trim panels.
- Pull front and rear rubber door seal away from trim panel.
4 Carefully pull bottom of lower trim panel away from door post
to release clips.
Pull trim lower panel straight down (arrow) to remove.
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51 3-1 5
I Interior Trim
Dash panel support, removing and
installing
- Remove lower dash panel. See Lower dash panel assem-
bly, removing and installing.
- Remove upper dash panel. See Upper dash assembly, re-
moving and installing.
- Remove upper steering column fasteners. See 320 Steering
and Wheel Alignment.
4 Remove dash support fasteners (arrows).
Remove wire ties as necessary and remove support.
- Installation is reverse of removal.
Rear parcel shelf, removing and installing
(models without rear
HPS airbags)
WARNING-
On 1998 and later models, rear Head Protection System
(HPS)
airbags may be installed (optional equipment). The
procedure given below does not covermodels with rear HPS
airbags. See721
Airbag System (SRS).
- Remove C-pillar trim panels. See Rear window pillar trim
panel (C-pillar), removing and installing.
- Remove rear seat backrest. See 520 Seats.
- Rear parcel shelf removing:
Remove center headrest fasteners.
Remove
seatbelt floor mounting fasteners.
Carefully pry out safety belt trim panels and feed
seatbelt
through slots.
. . . - -. . . . . . . . . Remove expansion rivets and slide pane fonvard to re-
move.
< Remove expanson r:vets (arrows).
Remove vent panels (A).
Remove speafter pane s (B).
Remove center head rest s-pporl fasteners (C).
Slioe parcel shelf forward lo remove.
- lnsta lation s reverse of removal.
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l Seats
Seat repair and component replacement is possible once the
seat has been removed from the vehicle.
Before servicing front seats read safety regulations on han-
dling
airbag modules and pyrotechnic seatbelt tensioners.
See
720 Seat belts and 721 Airbag system (SRS).
WARNING-
. The front seats are equipped with pyrotechnic seat belt
tensioners. These tensioners are powerful devices and
should be handled with exfreme care. Incorrect handling
can trigger off the tensioner and cause injury.
BMW recommends that all repair or replacement
worlc
on pyrotechnic devices must be carried out by a quali-
fied
BMW technician.
Be sure to disconnect the battery and wait
5 seconds
before attempting to work on pyrotechnic devices.
During body straightening and welding with an electric
arc welder, always disconnect the battery and the con-
nection to the pyrotechnic gas generators.
Seat switch and memory module, removing
and installing
- Remove front seat. See Front seats, removing and install-
ing.
- Carefully pull seat adjusting ltnobs straight out to remove.
Remove screw fastener
(A) and trim clips (B), turn side panel
downward to remove.
Disconnect electrical harness connector
(arrow).
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520-5
Seats
1
4 Release mounting tabs (arrows) and remove switch module.
Front seat, removing and installing
- Turn ignition switch to OFF position.
Remove front and rear rail trim panels:
Raise center of trim panel
(A) to release loclting pin.
Unlock and lift out inner mounting clips tabs
(6).
Slide trim panel off rail (arrow) to remove.
< Remove seat belt mounting fastener (arrow) from seat
frame.
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Seats
< Remove front seat rail fasteners (arrows)
- Remove front seat from car. Headrest may be removed to
provide additional clearance.
NOTE-
Use a blanket to protect the door sill from scuffing by seat
rails
during seat removal.
- Installation is reverse of removal. Use wire ties or equivalent
means to keep seat harness wiring from fraying.
Tightening torques
Front seat to floor
42 Nm (31 ft-lb)
Seat belt end to seat frame
48 Nm (35 ft-lb)
E39 models are equipped with at least three different ver-
sions of rear seats. This manual only covers the standard
seat used in sedan models.
Rear seat cushion and backrest, removing
and installing (sedan only)
4 Pull front of rear seat cushion up to release clips. While hold-
ing front of cushion up, pull cushion forward to remove.
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Seats
Remove left and right side bacltrest mounting fasteners (ar-
row).
Pull up on backrest to detach from top retainers. Slide back-
rest to side to clear seat belts while removing.
NOTE-
If the car is equipped with heatedrearseats, detach electrical
harness
connector(s) as you remove the seat components.
4 When reinstalling, be sure to pull seat belts and buckles (ar-
rows) up through appropriate slots in seat cushion.
Headrest, removing and installing
- Slide headrest as far up as possible.
Press guides (arrows)
back and
Installation is reverse of removal pull
upward to remove
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........... General ........................... .72 0.2 Rear Seat Belt Assembly 720-8
......... Troubleshooting ..................... .72 0.2 Rear seat belt assembly (sedan) 720-8
................ Rear seat belts (sedan) 720-9
... .......... Front Seat Assembly '720-4 Rear seat belt assembly (Sport Wagon) 720-9
Front seat belt tensioner,
......... Rear seat belts (Sport Wagon) 720-10
removing and installing ................ .72 0.4
Front seat belt assembly
.............. .72 0.6
Front seat belt reel. removing and
installing (sedan and Sport Wagon models)
.72 0.6